Rapid Fire
Accelerating Global Glaciers Loss
- 26 Mar 2025
- 2 min read
On the first World Day for Glaciers (21st March 2025), the United Nations (UN) World Water Development (WWD) Report 2025 revealed that glacier retreat in the Hindu Kush Himalayas (HKH) accelerated by 65% between 2011 and 2020.
- Key Findings of UN WWD Report 2025: HKH glaciers may lose 30–50% of their volume by 2100 if global temperatures rise by 1.5°C-2°C, and nearly 45% (from 2020 levels) if it exceeds 2°C.
- Mountain glaciers worldwide could lose 26-41% of their total mass by 2100, affecting 1.1 billion people in high-altitude regions.
- Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) are increasing, causing flash floods and landslides.
- They have caused over 12,000 deaths globally in the past 200 years, and the risk of GLOFs may triple by 2100.
- World Day for Glaciers: The UN has declared 2025 as the International Year of Glaciers' Preservation (IYGP).
- It will also mark the beginning of the Decade of Action on Cryospheric Science (2025–2034), aimed at strengthening glacier conservation efforts.
- Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH): The HKH, known as the "Water Tower of Asia," stretches across 8 countries, including India, and encompasses four global biodiversity hotspots — Himalaya, Indo-Burma, Southwest China, and Central Asia.
| Read More: Sea Ice Loss and Climate Disruptions |
